"Hello Yugi!"
"Oh, hey grandpa!" Yugi called out as Solomon came upstairs, a bundle of mail tucked under his arm. "How are things down in the card shop?"
"Good. Very good." The old man smiled and settled into his arm chair, letting out a groan of relief as he did so. He had been on his feet all day and he was glad to finally be able to rest. He enjoyed his job a lot, don't get him wrong, but some days things were so hectic that he couldn't even sit on his stool behind the counter. Today had been one of those days, seeing the old man hurrying along helping out customers who wanted to know about all sorts of things. "A lot of questions about different games."
"Really?" Joey said from where he sat on the floor with the other teens. "Different games? Not just Duel Monsters?"
"Well, with Pegasus and Kaiba needing to replace so much of their staff after that explosion they needed to delay the next set release," Yugi chimed in; Solomon wasn't surprised at all that Yugi would know all about that, even if Industrial Illusions hadn't officially announced it yet. Many other people had obviously figured it out as well, based on the business he had gotten.
"That's right," Solomon stated, "but thanks to Battle City so many people were bitten by the gaming bug that they want something new to play."
That made Neph frown. "I was unaware there was a bug whose bite made you wish to play a children's card game. I assume it was one of the Greek Gods who made it, as they were always creating foolish things."
"It wasn't… never mind," Yugi said, clearly realizing that arguing with the Egyptian Goddess posing as a teenager (poorly) wouldn't go over well.
Solomon began to sort through the mail. 'Bill… letter from the local library… coupon pack… request to talk about a car I don't even own anymore… drat, never a letter from a beautiful buxom blonde who wants to learn the ways of love from a mature man.' He sighed and set the bundle down before looking over at Yugi and his friends, who had returned to their work. "I wasn't aware school was back in session." The kids, as far as he was aware, were supposed to be on a 2 week break but they didn't look it with the state of the living room.
The teens were seated on the ground with a dozen different boxes scattered around them. Each had a notebook and there were different colored pens; even as Solomon took them in he saw Tristan grab a blue pen, setting down the red one he had been using and scribble down some notes.
"Oh no, Grandpa, this isn't for school," Yugi assured him.
"Getting ahead of things then?" Solomon asked. "Or planning something out for the next Duel Monsters tournament?"
"Nah," Joey said. "We're tryin' ta figure out how to get inta the underworld!"
Solomon's heart seized.
"G-grandpa?" Yugi said, concerned.
"I'm fine, Yugi. Fine. Just… uh… what inspired this?"
"Well, after the KaibaCorp building blew up the Pharaoh and I went to see what had happened-" Yugi suddenly paused, looking to his right.
Tristan looking skyward, silently counting the seconds.
Joey began to twiddle his thumbs.
Neph lightly clicked her tongue.
Solomon popped his lips.
"-yes Pharaoh, I will tell him," Yugi finally said, getting done with his conversation with the dead Pharaoh that lived in his Puzzle ('why oh why didn't you just buy the boy that collection of exotic jerky?' Solomon thought, not for the first time). "So we were looking around when we came upon these… what did you call them, Neph?"
"Imps," the Egyptian woman said.
"Right. Imps. They were taking credit for blowing up KaibaCorp. They were hired to do it. And they mentioned Edwin and-"
Solomon rose up. "Right, of course! That is completely normal and natural things for a group of teenagers to do on a Tuesday evening!"
"Its Thursday, gramps," Joey said.
"No its not," Tristan said in confusion.
"I am a teenager, yes," Neph said with a nod.
"Well… you four have fun. I have to… uh… go to the bathroom. I am very old though so it might take a while and it might sound like I'm talking to myself so don't be concerned." With that he hurried down the hall.
"But grandpa the bathroom is that way," Yugi called out.
"Eeesh, dibs on not cleaning up," Joey said, the last thing Solomon heard before he slammed the door of his bedroom, locking it and dropping to his hands and knees , crawling over to his bed.
"Where is it, where is it…" he muttered as he rummaged about before finally pulling out a shoebox. Which actually did contain shoes but that wasn't what Solomon was focused on. No, he instead tossed the shoes aside and pulled out a small cellphone that was hidden in the bottom of the box, powering it on and typing in a familiar number.
"Ahoj?" the voice said on the other end.
"It is Muto," Solomon said, switching to Czech.
"Muto? Why are you calling…" the man trailed off, knowing the answer to his own question. "Who has contacted you? They know the rules."
"No one… but I fear that we may have an issue. My grandson and his friends have gotten it into their head that they should join the Underworld."
"Yes… I can see why you would be concerned, considering all you did to secure your own freedom. But it is his choice, Muto. You know that you can't force us not to accept him."
Solomon knew that. As much as he wanted to scream at Bedřich that his grandson was off limits he knew the rules for Șerpii Crucii were very clear on who they allowed in… and what controls others had on who wasn't allowed in. Even if he were still a full member he wouldn't be able to keep Yugi or his friends out if they truly pushed for it.
'I'll have to be careful… drop hints that this isn't what they really want. Maybe mention what little I can about my time as a member.' He shook his head and continued on. "They got the idea in their head because of a group of assassins. The ones that blew up the KaibaCorp building."
That made Bedřich suck in a breath. "You believe it was one of us who did that?"
"Who else would be daring enough to strike the Kaiba Family?" Solomon asked with a roll of his eyes. "Even being out of the weapons business they are feared by the different parts of the Underworld. The Mafia, the Yakuza, on and on… they all stay away from the Kaiba Family. But Serpii Crucii… you would be willing to target them."
"Not us," Bedřich said firmly. "Never. That is madness."
"There is a group of assassins known as the Imps that are targeting the Kaibas and apparently talked with my grandson and got him thinking about joining the Underworld," Solomon said. "If they aren't a part of your group then they are a rogue faction-"
"And I will slaughter them," Bedřich assured him. "We were unaware of this, Muto… you have earned much for informing us. If they are part of our group they will be dealt with. If they are not they will be eliminated. Either way you will be rewarded… we can't refuse your Grandson if he truly wishes to join us but I will do what I can to discourage it."
"Thank you," Solomon said. "I'll do the same."
"Try and learn more. Contact me in two days."
With that Bedřich hung up the phone, Solomon taking a shaky breath as he worked to steady his nerves.
Be they members of Serpii Crucii or some new organization looking to build a name for themselves… Solomon would ensure that they paid for trying to drag his grandson into a life of crime.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Oh hey, you're small again!" Charlie said as she sat down at the table that had become her group's place to sit. After only a second though her eyes went wide and she gasped, staring right at Aria who was in her human form. "Oh my gosh, that isn't insulting is it? I don't want it to be insulting-"
"Its fine," Aria said with a wave of her hand. "And yeah, I went small… there isn't a lot of room to duel with I'm 10 feet tall." She gestured at several of the taller demons who were having to squish themselves down so they could properly duel. "Just easier to go down to human form. Not that anyone really noticed." She gestured at the headband Edwin had grabbed for her, which had a pair of stuffed devil horns on them. "This oddly seems to be enough for everyone to think I'm a sinner demon."
"Well, if you want a better disguise just let me know. I'd be happy to get you something like I did for my dad." She gestured over at her father, who was currently dueling with a gorilla-looking demon wearing a fine suit and puffing on a cigar, a big X right across his face. The Sinner Demon was taunting Lucifer, who merely took the comments with a smile, though it was hard to see the smile with the huge thick bushy beard that was currently covering his face.
Currently Husk and a newly arrived Angel were the only others ones sitting at the table, the two going over their decks and waiting for the next round. Husk had managed to win two duels and Angel one and both were willing to hold off having any more, neither willing to risk getting a loss at that point. Angel was far less focused on the tournament than the others, willing to get knocked out if he didn't get enough tickets. Charlie understood why, of course… she had had both of her opponents try and add extra stakes to their duels only for Charlie to wave them off, telling them that she just wanted to duel and would be happy with just that. They hadn't been pleased but had known better than to press.
'But the same won't be true with others,' she thought, looking around the ballroom. 'There are going to be powerful demons that use this tournament to try and push for new deals. And demons desperate enough to try and build their reputation that they will gamble anything.' She knew that Angel had sold his soul to Valentio for fame and fortune only to find that the former was more of being infamous while the latter disappeared real quick. He would deny it, of course, but the meetings they had been having… well, Angel let slip things he didn't realize.
"You know, when I arrived in Hell I wondered when the torture would start," Edwin commented as he flopped down next to Aria, Charlie scooching over to give him extra room. "The old cartoons always showed demons in red pajamas, sticking people with pitchforks."
"We should have a pajama party!" Charlie squealed. "I can get us all matching pajamas and we can watch movies and munch on popcorn!" She took out her phone and added that to her ever growing list of activities that she wanted for the hotel.
"…right," Edwin said slowly with a shake of his head. "Kinda derailed me bitching about this tournament."
"That bad?" Aria asked.
"Well, it isn't beating Battle City what with me being kidnapped twice and then stabbed to death by a crazy Egyptian woman but its close. Its close." He nodded his head at that.
"Oh come on Edwin, its fun!" Charlie said.
"I've had five different demons suggest we put set up as side bets, three others try and trick me into selling my soul, and one demon that for some reason wanted the winner to get the loser's socks to 'totally not sniff'." He rolled his eyes at that. "And of course I've gotten requests for jewelry. Those ones I at least took up."
"And I'm assuming you won't be making any extra pieces?" Aria asked.
"Three duels though the second one shouldn't count because the guy screwed up and got disqualified. Accidently drew two cards instead of one… I was willing to let it slide, especially because I was going to kick his ass anyway, but Cecelia's partner Greta was watching and said their anti-cheating standards were clear on it."He shook his head. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. They are taking this super seriously. I would have thought that half of the game would be cheating but they are watching like hawks… and they don't have to, really." Edwin shook his head again. "For fuck's sake…" he muttered.
"What is it?" Charlie asked, wondering what had caused him to become so… well, he wasn't mad, she could tell that. Startled? Maybe that was the right word for it. But it was a muted startled. Like when you see something you were expecting but you don't jump out of your shoes or let out a yelp; instead you just kind of blink and take it all in? Charlie knew there had to be a word for it and-
"I don't think anyone has actually tried to cheat in any of the duels I've had. Not legitimately. Any of you guys have issues like that?"
Husk shook his head. "Not at all. In fact someone asked for Greta to come over and check if they could make a move before they did it, just to make sure it was legal."
Angel nodded. "Course no one would actually try and cheat!" He let out a laugh, purposely draping himself over Husk who growled but didn't actually shove him away. "I mean, what would that actually prove? You want to be the best duelist in Hell… not the best cheater. This isn't a marriage!" He giggled at his joke.
Edwin and Aria flashed a look and Charlie frowned once more, trying to figure out what was going through his head and also what that word was that she was looking for. A dull surprise but it had to have a single word-
"Oh god, the honor among duelists thing is even worse in Hell," Edwin finally said, holding his head in his hands.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
The jeweler let out a growl at that though Charlie could tell it wasn't directed at her. "Alright so let's tick them off, shall we? In my time as a duelist up on earth I dealt with some little punk that threw an opponent's cards into the ocean-"
"He did WHAT?!" Angel exclaimed, horrified. He suddenly sat straight in his chair, eyes flashing, while Husk sneered at the mere thought.
"Yeah," Edwin commented dryly. "I was tempted to throw that little prick overboard. Let's see… then I dealt with a guy who, when he lost to me, tried to burn me alive."
"That is horrible!" Charlie exclaimed.
"Then I had a little brat attempt to lead me into multiple death traps. The guy running the entire tournament was looking at his opponent's cards, another duelist threatened to commit suicide in the middle of a duel just to force his opponent to surrender… oh, and I stopped the guy that was purposely slipping extra cards from his sleeve onto the top of his deck from competing."
Husk shook his head at that. "Yeah, that sounds like Earth all right. Always cheating and scamming. Down here we save that kind of stuff for regular day to day things… the games are supposed to be games."
Edwin just stared at Husk for a long moment before shaking his head. "Yeah, okay," he said with a huffy little sigh just as Vaggie sat down, glowering darkly.
"Hey, how's it going?" Charlie asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," Vaggie muttered.
"I think someone lost," Angel Dust stage whispered.
"I didn't fucking lose!" Vaggie snarled at him, picking up a knife and jabbing it at Angel even as Charlie tried to calm her down. "That little punk just won quicker than I could, that's all."
"I think that's the definition of losing," Angel said, not at all disturbed by Vaggie threatening to stab him in the throat.
Charlie began to stroke her girlfriend's hair. "Shhh… its okay… its okay… so you lost. There is still time for you to try and get back in this. Maybe not betting your soul or anything-"
"Maybe?" Edwin asked with an arched eyebrow.
"-but you can-"
"And the first round is complete!" Cecelia called out. "We will be going over the standings to determine who will be moving on but you will need at least 2 tickets to be considered!"
Charlie winced at that. "Uh… well…"
"Come on, Whiskers," Angel said, lazily stretching as he stood up from his chair, "let's go get some food while we wait. We need out energy in order to compete in the second round." He looked right at Vaggie as he said that and Charlie quickly yanked the rest of the utensils out of reach before Vaggie began to hurl them at Angel.
"Yeah, good idea. All that dueling is going to require energy," Husk said as he passed by Vaggie who made a lunge for him only for Charlie to quickly grab her, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend in a way that would prevent her from strangling either of their friends.
"I will make a custom piece of jewelry for you if you just calm the fuck down for the rest of the tournament," Edwin groused, glowering at Vaggie. "Fuck a duck, woman, it's a card game. Calm down."
Vaggie glowered at that. "I don't like losing or them mocking me."
"Well they will get mocked soon because only one person can win. Until then show some fucking maturity and then you can go after them with both barrels when they are kicked out of the tournament." He shook his head and looked over his shoulder at Angel Dust and Husk.
"Yeah… I suppose you are right," Vaggie finally said with a sigh. Charlie let her go but still kept her hand on Vaggie's knee, having learned the hard way after their FIRST attempt at having a maid before Niffty that it was wise to not become too lax after a Vaggie blowup. "Just annoyed that I'm already out of the tournament."
"Plenty of people are out of the tournament already," Aria said softly, speaking up for the first time since Vaggie had appeared at the table. Charlie found it cute but also a little sad how timid the hellhound was… just another sign that she wasn't doing enough for the hellborn. She was the Princess of Hell… not just of Sinner Demons. "So there isn't that much shame in it."
Edwin continued to watch Angel Dust and Husk as the went over to the bar for some drinks. "Have those two always been so… chummy?"
"No," Vaggie grunted, still pouting over her loss which Charlie found so cute. Her girlfriend could be so adorable at times. "Normally they are at each other's throats. I don't like it."
"Well I love it!" Charlie declared. "Its so nice that they are bonding. I've been talking to a few of the therapists that are interested in coming to work at the hotel and they all agree that the best way to grow as a person and break out of bad habits is to have someone with you that can help you become better. Lift you up when you are down and cheer you on when you have a victory."
Before she could say more one of the wait staff came by and checked their tickets. This involved taking a ticket and ripping it up, leaving only the tickets one had won. The staff member nodded to Charlie and Aria (but warning them that it would only get harder as things continued on) while being rather pleased with Edwin's now 3 tickets in total.
Once she was gone Edwin slowly rose from his chair. "Well, I'm going to wander and see if I can find someone actually interested to duel in the second round."
"Have fun!" Charlie called out before looking at Aria. "So… how else are duels on Earth different from the ones in hell?"
"Well to start there are a lot less Egyptian people…"
~MC~MC~MC~
Marik snarled as he was shoved into the prison yard by the guard.
He hated all of this. Hated that he was trapped in their Super Max, Off Site, Off the Record Prison. Hated that he hadn't been allowed a trial where he could preen to the public and let them know just who he was and how dangerous having him around truly was. Hated that he had been stripped naked the moment he arrived, doused in a powder that had burned his eyes and tasted like acid, and then blasted with chilly water before being told he had 5 minutes to dry off. That he had been examined so invasively that he still could feel the wiggling fingers probing every crevice of his body. That he had been forced into a cream colored one piece jumpsuit with heelless shoes, all his clothes and jewelry stolen from him. Hated the damn bracelets that had been forced onto his wrists that locked away all his power!
But to be pushed about like this?
"Do not touch me again, you pathetic little wretch, or I will-"
The guard gave him another shove.
Marik at once whipped around to glower at the man only to find that two of his buddies had already pulled their weapons and were aiming them at him. But rather than balk at this Marik stepped toward, pressing the barrel of one gun right into his forehead.
"Do it," he taunted. "Pull the trigger. I know you want to." He smirked as the guards stared him down. No smiles. No taunts. Just stared him down like the pathetic little nothings they were. "You can't. Do you know why? Because your precious warden has been told that I must live. You fear the Moon Goddess and what she will do to you if you can't deliver me to her on a silver platter. So you have to keep me alive. So your little threats are nothing more than hollow whining from a bunch of infants, trying to prove they are grown up and failing miserably.
"You aren't in control here. You pathetic little grunts… going about your work believing you are making a difference. You have done NOTHING. You don't matter. You are nothing. I am Marik Ishtar… I am the leader of the Rare Hunters. I am the one that is in control and I believe that it is time for some things to change. You need me but I don't need you, so-"
The second guard fired.
Marik went down hard, gasping in pain as he doubled over. His vision had exploded into fireworks: darkness with bursts of color. He tried to say something but he began to gag and that only made things hurt all the worse. He was rolling about like a brain addled dog but he couldn't stop himself because of the PAIN.
Normally… normally Marik loved pain. Saw it as amusing. It reminded him that he was real. He had gone through so much worse, after all. Nothing could match the feeling of the hot knife carving into his back, melting the skin and forever marking him as a slave to the Pharaoh. The punches, the kicks, the thrown rocks… they were nothing compared to that and it always disturbed people when he would just laugh at them for doing that… or snap his gaze in their direction and make clear just how foolish they had been to attempt such an attack.
But… what the guards had just done…
"That is a beanbag round," one guard said and Marik wondered how long he had been crouched over his form. "It doesn't kill. But it hurts like hell. And I've gotten very good at targeting the shriveled up testicles of bastards like you."
Marik tried to curse him out but it came out so garbled that even he knew it was pathetic.
"What's great about hitting a little egomaniacal cretin like you there is that the pain doesn't go away after a few minutes. A bruise you can avoid touching. Baby it and all that. But that hit?" The guard had the gall to actually reach out and tap Marik on the forehead. "That is going to ache for a long while and every time you shift or move it is going to send pain racing right up in your guts."
And then the man moved away.
"You are allowed one hour of fresh air, then its back to your cell. Have fun."
And with that the guards stepped back, not leaving him alone but making clear that they weren't going to do anything else.
Marik sucked in several more mouthfuls of air before he forced himself to get up. He nearly fell over again when he felt the pain shoot through his body from just shifting to his knees but he did all he could to fight through it and get into a kneeling position. But… that was the best he could do.
He ignored their stares as he began to crawl like a dog towards the bench.
'You will pay… you will all pay!' he ranted in his head. 'Laugh now but I swear the moment I get back my Millennium Rod…'
As he had been doing often he held out his hand, trying to will his item to him.
He could feel it! The Millennium Rod was THERE… somewhere in the facility. He just knew it. The relic was calling to him, begging him to summon it forth…
But the damn bracers on his wrists stopped him cold from calling forth what was HIS!
Marik stared at his wrists, raw and scarred. He had tried to tear off the bracers multiple times now and all that had done is left the flesh along his arms torn apart. And the bracers remaining there, looking none the worse for wear. As if nothing had ever happened.
He slowly got to his feet and made his way to a bench, ignoring the sports equipment that had been left out for him. A part of him thought he should use it… that it would be good to exercise and entertain himself before he returned to the barren padded cell that didn't even have a pillow. But he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him hobble about now, not after how they had injured him. He knew that's what they wanted.
So instead Marik gingerly sat down and looked up at the sky.
'Are you up there, watching me right now Moon?' he thought as he looked at the clouds and the sun and the pale blue sky. But also there was the moon… people didn't realize how often the moon was visible in the sky. You just had to look for it to find it. 'Are you up there laughing at my suffering? Well… I hope you are. I hope you are watching and you are enjoying this because it will be some of the last entertainment you ever have! I will make you suffer! I will make you pay for this! I will do what none have ever dreamed and I will slay a god! So watch and laugh now, even as I promise you your end! You watch!'
~MC~MC~MC~
Selene slowly removed the cucumbers from her eyes. She and Tea had decided, after a rather long and fruitless search for Endymion through several afterlifes, to take a break and get in some sun bathing. After all, the light of the moon was the reflection of the sun's light so why not?
The two were stretched out on deck chairs Selene had brought to her palace, completely naked and stretched out without a hint of shame or modesty, working on getting some tans.
Yet she could have sworn she heard someone praying to her…
Selene shrugged and put the cucumber back in place.
~MC~MC~MC~
Rosie looked up as one of her maids entered with a silver platter held out, a folded note upon it. "There is a gentleman wishing to enter, ma'am."
"Oh, is there?" Rosie said, setting her cup down. She took a moment to dip her fingers in the washing bowl that was off to the side before drying them clean, so to make sure not a spec of blood ended up on the note, before picking up the parchment and looking it over. "My my my… this is interesting."
"And what is that?" Alastor asked as he looked down at the ballroom. He hadn't bothered to duel at all and had been more than happy to surrender his sole ticket to the wait staff. While he had been tempted to go down and join in with the fun he had decided to wait.
There were two reasons for that. First and foremost was that he was demon enough to admit that his mind wasn't fully on the tournament. He was puzzling over Malik Ishtar and his little cult. They had proven to be rather tricky to deal with and Alastor, while willing to back away when a situation wasn't working out for him, didn't like to lose. It… reminded him too much of…
Well, that didn't matter. Alastor had long learned that it wasn't about winning the battle, it was about winning the war. While it was nice to get first blood or achieve shock and awe other times there was simply nothing you could do other than tip your cap to your foe and plan for next time.
'That is what Vox never understood,' he thought. 'Every time he suffered a setback or a failure he ranted and raged and threw his hissy fits. The few times he has managed to defeat me I have accepted with a smile… and that truly drove him all the more mad, because he couldn't understand how anyone could do that! And then he'd be shocked when I took what I had learned from that failure and used it to make our next encounter go in MY favor.'
That was the second reason he had decided to skip out on dueling in the Hellfire Gala: the knowledge he would gain watching all the duels vs. only have a couple was too great. There would be other tournaments… he had realized that within a few minutes. Cecelia Pegasus had created something that wasn't a mere flash in the pan. No no… it was an oven that would stay on day and night, always staying hot. Not a suddenly popular thing that all focused on only for it to die away… rather it would be something that remained around for a long time. And what came after would be far better than what they had now. That was just the nature of things. Cecelia would learn from what she had done here and improve and Alastor, by that point, would be ready-
"Are you even paying attention to me?" Rosie said, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"But of course!" Alastor declared with a laugh, turning up the wattage on his smile.
Rosie though shook her head. "You can fool everyone else but never me, Alastor. You weren't focused at all on what I said. But it is fine… I don't mind repeating myself. The new arrival isn't interested in talking to me… they want to talk to YOU."
"To me?" Alastor said, pressing his hand to his chest.
"Yes… and since I doubt you advertised that you were coming up here it does beg the question how they knew you were up here…"
"I suppose the only way we'll find out is if you invite them up!" Alastor said. 'Now… who could this be? Malik being rather bold? I doubt that… he seems like one that wants to remain in his little part of hell. Perhaps send some of his forces after me but nothing Rosie and I couldn't handle if he weren't around to heal them up. Vox? He wouldn't be so polite about it. Hmmm…'
The door to their private box opened and Alastor turned and smiled broadly.
"Ah… I should have guessed. Hello Edwin."
Edwin Cerberus stepped into the room, adjusting his jacket as he did so. "Alastor. Charlie was worried you were delayed."
"I did let her know I might not be able to attend but I suppose I should have told her that I was visiting with Rosie. Perhaps invited her up here."
"For a small bite?" Edwin asked with a smirk before looking at Rosie. "Since Alastor here has forgotten his manners-" Edwin gave a shallow bow, one hand pressed to his chest, even as Alastor's smile slipped slightly (still there but not as bright) at the ding against him, "-Edwin Cerberus."
"Rosie," the seamstress said. "Just Rosie. When you get as powerful as me last names aren;t needed."
"I will take your word for it," Edwin replied. Rosie held out her hand but Edwin shook his head. "Considering your… appetites… I think I'll be keeping my distance."
That made Rosie titter. "Such a clever boy. Pity… I could have showed you some things. Now then…" she gestured at the table, "…what is it that brings you here?"
"Well, I find myself rather secure to make it to the next round and my opponents have only given me quick duels so I thought now would be the perfect time to discuss some things with Alastor. I don't mind you staying, Rosie… he'll probably let things slip to you anyway."
"I would NEVER break a word of privacy," Alastor assured him. Granted, he WOULD find ways to drop clues but still…
"I'm not going to mince words here… or maybe I am. I get a touch long winded at times. Anyway… I haven't just been sitting in Charlie's basement making jewelry. I have been working to establish myself. To build up my power. The only way you survive in hell is to do that… or tie yourself to someone that does that." Edwin paused. "There is a line up on Earth: The World is changing… soon there will only be the conquered… and the conquerors." He smirked. "I'm not one to wear a chain around my neck."
For the briefest of moments Alastor wondered if Edwin KNEW. And if he did then he was prepared to slaughter him and perhaps even Rosie to keep his secret. Only Husk knew the truth and was allowed to live and that was because Alastor…
But no. Alastor could see it in Edwin's eyes. He didn't know the truth. He wasn't taunting him. He was talking purely about himself. It had been a blind man accidently grazing the bullseye and thankfully he didn't realize how close to the mark he had been.
As such Alastor stated, "Yes, that is the way of things. And I haven't missed your rise in power. But what does that have to do with me?"
"You have something I am interested in," Edwin stated. "A soul. I want to trade for it."
"A deal?" Alastor said, perking up at once. And he was also curious… which soul did he own that Edwin cared for. 'Did I claim one of his loved ones? Was that why he came to the hotel? Has he arrived in Hell and discovered that someone he loves is in chains and all he has done down here is work to try and free them? Why… that is almost Greek in its nature.'
"Not a deal. A trade. There is a difference. Equal value passed to the two parties and both walk away happy, richer for it all. If done right." He leaned forward. "And I think this will be done right."
"Go on," Alastor purred, now truly curious.
"First things first. All the contracts these two souls have will remain with us. I keep all the ones I gained through controlling them… you keep the ones controlled by yourself."
"oh, now that is cruel," Alastor said. "They will feel it at once. And they won't like it. Demons, even those trapped by another, like to have souls to control. It makes them feel better about their lot."
"I think the soul you control will call it a fair deal to come to my side," Edwin said, confirming once more that there must be someone he deeply cared for under Alastor's thumb. "As for mine… I want him to suffer."
That made Alastor cackle. "Well well well… I must admit I truly am intrigued. Just who do you have in mind, Edwin?"
"Husk."
Alastor… blinked.
"I'm sorry, what now?"
"I want the soul of the former Overlord Husk," Edwin stated.
Rosie looked between the two of them. "I'm not the only one missing something here, am I?"
"No," Alastor admitted. "no… I am missing something too. You want… Husk?" How was Edwin connected to Husk? That hellhound of his… she had been talking up Husk. Was she in love with him? No, that didn't feel right at all. Was it to get in good with Charlie? More likely but it was a bit much. He already had a good standing with her, unless…
Alastor's mind turned that over.
'Unless he has done something she won't be happy with…' his thoughts sang and his smile grew sharp. "Well… that is a pretty prize, even with all the souls he's collected remaining with me." Except there weren't that many… in fact Husk had gambled nearly all of them away, with Alastor winning them all in that final card game that had seen Husker put himself on the line. Edwin didn't need to know that though… let him think that because Alastor could still use it at a bargaining chip.
Still…
"I suppose I could be convinced to trade him away… though there were would be a caveat or two." Edwin motioned for him to continue. "I would like to request his services, from time to time, when it comes to certain subjects. He and I are investingating a serial killer at the moment and it would be dreadful… terribly dreadful… if he were to be yanked away on a hook when we are so close to finishing this case."
"So long as he isn't harmed in any way," Edwin stated before quickly adding, "Physically, mentally, spiritually."
Alastor raised his eyebrow at that; it was an odd thing to request. "Well, I suppose that is the cost of gaining a reputation as I have. Agreed. Also, I would require that any secrets I have shared with him remain between us."
"The same with the soul I will be offering."
And still Edwin refused to tell him whose soul he had. It was all so terribly interesting!
"Furthermore," Edwin continued, "I require that the soul I am giving you not be alerted quite yet that I no longer hold his contract."
'Cuirassier and curiouser,' Alastor thought before asking, "And why, exactly, would you want to do that?"
"Because I want his attention on me. Stewing and grumbling and plotting… until it is revealed that he has wasted his time and YOU are the one that is pulling his strings. And that will burn him all the more."
"Oh, you are a cruel one," Alastor said, tapping one sharp nail against the table. "I would never think of doing that to poor Husker… you must truly hate this soul."
"He deserves it," Edwin stated. "And my final stipulation is for both of us: we agree not to allow either soul to act against the other. I will not have Husk seek vengeance against you, you will not allow your newly acquired prize to come after me."
'So… the soul you hold will seek revenge upon you. That is… very interesting.' Alastor's mind whirled with that little fact. 'You've done so well to appear friendly and kind. A threat to no one. And yet here you are, not only making deals but also gaining control of souls. Including one that is so unhappy with your control of them that they would try and come against you. Yet… you are also willing to trade that soul away for Husker's? That is rather telling… the puzzle that is Edwin Cerberus continues to deepen.'
His smile broadened.
'Oh yes… I want to find out more about you, most certainly. And if that means losing a prized piece…' Alastor threaded his fingers together. "I will accept… assuming that the soul you have to offer is worth that of Husk's. I am sure dear Aria has already informed you of this detail, as from what I hear she is a bit of an Overlord Fanatic, but Husk once was rather important in Hell."
"More than must rather," Rosie interjected for the first time in a while. "You made a name for yourself claiming his soul, showing you were far more than a mere butcher."
It pleased Alastor to no end that Rosie had stepped in to do his bragging for him. Such things had far greater weight when they came from someone else's mouth.
"I know," Edwin said. "Which is why I expect you to throw in a few other souls to make this a bit more fair, even with the stipulations I've produced."
"A bit…"Alastor said, only for Rosie to cut him off.
"You hold the soul of another former Overlord?" She stared at him in open shock, her own smile falling a bit at that. Still there but dimmed, like the sun behind the clouds.
"No." Edwin said and though his tone was like a thunder just like a storm there was more than one clap. Something else was coming. "Not former." And with that he held out his hand, a burst of blue flame appearing on his palm, taking on the form of-
"Oh… my…" Rosie said, pressing her hands to her mouth.
Valentino.
Edwin Cerberus… held the soul of Valentino. An Overlord. Lover of Vox. One third of the Vees.
"So…" Edwin said slowly, "about those extra souls."
Alastor looked at Rosie and began to wonder if he might be able to bum a soul or two off her that was high enough to make the deal even sweeter.
Because in that moment he didn't care that Edwin was a rival. That he was now, beyond a doubt, a secret Overlord. That Alastor had been right and the man was hiding things.
He held Valentino's soul and was willing to play games with it.
Alastor slowly reached into his coat and pulled out a list of names.
"Let's see what we can do."